Healthier Banana Fosters Ice Cream (dairy-free)

You’ll get all the vibes from this healthier classic New Orleans dessert. Made without any processed ingredients like brown sugar, this vegan version has all of the decadent flavors going on.  

This is a classic dessert featuring ripe bananas, and candied pecans, in a homemade vegan caramel sauce.  Top it over a few scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream and the only thing missing is a spoon.  Make this easy recipe and fall in love with caramelized bananas without any guilt.

Can Banana Foster’s Really Be Guilt-Free?

You no longer have to wait for a special occasion to indulge in a rich caramelized banana dessert.  It’s one of those special and delicious recipes that is honestly not bad for you.  Let me explain.

It’s dairy-free. Whether you are trying to avoid consuming dairy or your stomach cannot tolerate it, the good news is that you can still enjoy dessert without heartburn.  This recipe is made with vegan butter and paired with dairy-free ice cream.

It has no processed junk. This traditional dessert is typically made with brown sugar, which is known to caramelize well.  However, coconut sugar does the trick and it saves your waistline the inches as well.

It’s made from real ingredients.  You won’t find anything fake in this recipe.  Just a few simple ingredients to make what tastes like a fancy dessert that actually only took 10 minutes to make.

It’s perfect to serve your kids.  My daughters will literally eat anything sweet on top of their ice cream. And, if I say that it’s caramel, you better believe they want it.  I’m certain that your kids will love this new dessert! 

How to Serve Banana Foster’s Ice Cream

You will want to serve it right after cooking so make sure you are ready to have dessert once you heat up your pan.  I promise it is the best way and only way to eat banana fosters!  

The most popular way to eat this dessert is over ice cream.  You can make homemade ice cream or grab your favorite brand of ice cream at your local grocery store.  I choose oat milk-based varieties but go ahead and choose whatever tickles your fancy.

It’s even good on its own.  Grab a spoon and dig in.  It’s that good.  And, that’s because it is made from real food!

Top it on your oatmeal.  One of our favorite ways to eat leftover banana fosters is to place a few spoonfuls over the top of our oatmeal or overnight oats.  It’s like you are having dessert for breakfast. Yeah! 

On top of brownies.  If you love eating a slice of a warm brownie right out of the oven, you will really enjoy smearing this vegan banana fosters over the top.  This dessert complements many warm baked goods and is a great way to up the flavor of almost any dessert dish.

Believe it or not, one of my favorite ways to eat this is on top of a fresh piece of banana bread.  It’s not too much banana, I promise.  Yum! 

What Are the Ingredients?

Banana slices-Of course this is the base of this delicious dessert.  Make sure you go with ripe bananas for this dessert. 

Vegan butter-We switch out regular dairy-based butter for a vegan version.  It does the trick and also doesn’t compromise the flavor.  It’s a win-win. You can purchase this from any local grocery store. 

Coconut sugar-Unlike brown sugar, this sugar variety is unprocessed which makes it a much better sweetener choice.  

Cinnamon-This is a must-use ingredient.  It works well with all of the flavors like banana, caramel, rum, and vanilla. 

Dark rum or spiced rum-You can even use rum extract if you are looking to make this an alcohol-free dessert.

Vanilla extract-Definitely try to use a real extract instead of an imitation variety.  In my opinion, you can really taste the difference.

Chopped pecans-I love how this ingredient adds a nice crunchy texture to the ice cream.  Since ice cream and bananas are so soft, it is nice to add in the pecan pieces!  Plus, they caramelize well! 

Ice cream-Grab any vanilla ice cream that your little heart desires from Ben & Jerry’s to homemade ice cream.  If you are looking to make it a dairy-free dessert, grab one of the many non-dairy options at your local grocery store.

How to Make This Dairy-free Dessert

Step one-To make this caramel rum sauce, place a medium saute pan on the stove over medium heat.  Add the butter and allow it to fully melt.

Step two-Once the butter has melted, add the coconut sugar, vanilla extract, rum, and cinnamon. Constantly stir it until it becomes thick and caramelized.  This usually takes about 2 minutes.

Step three-At the two-minute mark, add the pecans and mix them while they cook for one additional minute.

Step four-Turn down the heat to low and then add the banana slices.  Gently toss them into the caramel sauce until they are evenly coated.  (It should take about 1 minute to do this.)  Remove the pan from the heat.  Serve immediately.

Tips + Modifications

​You could swap out the vegan butter for coconut oil.  It will slightly change the flavor and consistency but still works.

Optionally add a sprinkle of sea salt onto the top of the saucy caramel bananas.

I would not suggest using other flavors such as banana ice cream, which can take away from the banana fosters flavor.

You can not use liquid sugar like honey or maple syrup.  They will not caramelize.  Only crystallized sugars. 

Other Delicious Dairy-Free Desserts Worth Trying

Easy Lemon Raspberry Power Yogurt Dip is one of our family’s favorite mid-day snacks.

If you are looking for a wholesome dessert that you can pack in your kid’s lunches or even your work lunchbox, you’ve got to try these Easy Vegan Almond Butter Cookies!